I am sorry I have been away from the forum lately. Too much going on right now in my life.
I believe you have found a good forum here. We will respond to any and all questions that you may have and share our experiences with you to help you along.
I don't understand why there is noone else around in your home state that has had WLS. Your Doctor has a practice. How many surgeries has he/she done in a year? Are they recognized as a Center of Excellence doctor? How about the hospital? Are they a Center of Excellence hospital? I ask this since this is where you should be able to find community in your own state. My Doctor has a practice that includes two nutritionists as well as a bariatric psychologist. Does your Doctor's practice have anything similar to this?
From your Doctor's practice and/or the hospital you should be able to find some support groups/persons, etc.